Stand down helps vets

TROUT CREEK – Long lines formed at the park in Trout Creek early in the morning as veterans from across the region gathered at the Tri-State Veterans Stand Down.

This year’s third-annual stand down was held on Saturday, June 28 from 8 am to 4 pm in Trout Creek.

“The stand down offers veterans a chance to get together, share stories and get the gear they need,” Billy Hill, organizer of the Tri-State Veterans Stand Down, said.

Military surplus clothing and gear were all available, in addition to the distribution of food, free of charge for the veterans who attended the event.

Both breakfast and lunch were served to veterans.

Veterans in attendance also had an opportunity to learn about Department of Veteran Affairs services and benefits, in addition to information on healthcare and employment opportunities for servicemen and servicewomen.

Hill noted the stand down was also an opportunity for veterans to meet with one another, swap stories and be appreciated for their service to the nation.

“The day lets each veteran get a moment where the world says thanks,” Hill said.  

In total, 311 veterans turned out for the stand down over the course of the day.

This year’s event was smaller than the 2013 stand down located in Plains, which topped out at 2,300, making it the largest in the nation.

Despite the decrease in numbers, Hill noted that everything went according to plan.

“Though it was a smaller event, everything went smoother this year,” Hill said.

Hill said the large group of volunteers who helped make the stand down possible played an integral role to the success of the event.  

The event organizer also mentioned the stand down would not have been nearly as successful without the assistance of the Trout Creek community.

“We were so impressed with the flow of the event during the whole day,” Hill said.

The shift from the large storage facilities at the Sanders County Fairgrounds to the smaller venue at the park in Trout Creek affected how much surplus equipment the Tri-State Stand Down could order for the event.

This year $700,000 of resources were made available for the veterans, down 20-30 percent from last year’s inventory.

Nevertheless, the stand down was able to supply the veterans who turned out to Trout Creek with the gear they needed.

“The stand down worked out really well. We were able to get the veterans what they needed,” Hill said.

Among the lower 48 states, Montana has a higher percentage of military veterans than any other state with nearly 110,000 residents of the state serving in the military in the past.

Only the state of Alaska has a higher percentage of veterans among its total population.

Not only veterans from Montana turned out for this year’s stand down, with former service members from Idaho and Washington also making a stop in Trout Creek.

Following the success of this year’s event, Hill plans on hosting next year’s stand down in Trout Creek as well.

“We are going to give it our best shot to host the best stand down western Sanders County has ever seen,” Hill said.